The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music® Awards NOMINATIONS Have Been Announced with ERIC CHURCH Leading the Pack

The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Nominations were announced on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 via the second annual ACM digital press conference on the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The 35-minute online event announced batches of nominations in video postings by a laundry list of actors, artists and entertainers. The event concluded with music fans announcing the nominees for the Academy’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year.

The Leader of the Pack . . .And lo and behold, Eric Church leads the nominations pack with a Lucky 7 nods. The Chief’s lead includes Male Vocalist of the Year and his second consecutive nod for Album of the Year (CHIEF) and Video of the Year (Creepin’). He is twice nominated for Song of the Year (Springsteen) as both artist and composer. Church also earned nominations for Single of the Year (Springsteen) and Vocal Event of the Year (The Only Way I Know) with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.

The Academy of Country Music Awards is a star-studded event honoring country music’s best and introducing hot emerging talent. Produced for television by Dick Clark Productions, the ACM Awards will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7th, 2013 at 8:00 PM/ET live on CBS.

The Academy of Country Music’s professional membership selects the nominees and winners of the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, and selects the final top five nominees of the Entertainer of the Year category.

For the third consecutive year, reigning ACM Male Vocalist of the Year, Blake Shelton, will muscle up with Luke Bryan to host the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards – a first time hosting a LIVE televised event for Luke.

And as the stars descend on Vegas for Country Music’s Party of the Year Event for the 48th time, FANS WILL ONCE AGAIN VOTE FOR ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR & NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR. The winners of Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year will be announced live during the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Top Nominees Also Include a diverse mix of reigning artists, newcomers, favorites, couples, groups and first-timers. The list includes:

Hunter Hayes kept a tight pace behind Church earning himself 6 nominations including New Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year (Wanted). He’s twice nominated in the Song of the Year category as the artist and composer, as well as in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer again for “Wanted.”

Reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert’s hard-working arse earned her 5 sweet nominations including her second nomination for Entertainer of the Year and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist of the Year. Lambert was also nominated for Single Record of the Year and twice nominated for Song of the Year, as artist and composer, for “Over You.”

Reigning Entertainer of the Year, Taylor Swift received five outstanding nominations, including her fourth consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year. (If Swift wins Entertainer of the Year, it will be her third consecutive win in that category.) Taylor’s also nominated for the sixth time for Female Vocalist of the Year and for the fourth time for Video of the Year (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together). She’s received a double nomination for Album of the Year (Red) as the artist and producer.

Luke Bryan received four nominations, including his first ever Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year nominations. He also received nominations for Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines and Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.

First-time ACM nominee, Kacey Musgraves is nominated for four awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, New Female Vocalist of the Year and twice for Video of the Year for “Merry Go ‘Round” as both artist and producer.

Little Big Town leads group nominations with four nods, including their seventh nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. They are also nominated for Album of the Year, Single Record of the Year (Pontoon) and Video of the Year (Tornado).

Jason Aldean is nominated for three awards, including his third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Luke Bryan and Eric Church.

Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Blake Shelton is nominated for three awards, including his third consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year and second nod for Entertainer of the Year (going head to head in that ring with wife, Miranda Lambert). Shelton also received a nomination for Song of the Year as composer for “Over You” with Miranda Lambert.

Eli Young Band earned three nominations. Continuing to charm the Academy and their fans, Eli Young Band’s noms include their second consecutive nomination for Vocal Group of the Year. And a double “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” nom for Single Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories.

Florida Georgia Line wasted no time climbing the ACM ranks receiving three nominations. The group’s first time nods include Vocal Duo of the Year, New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

Fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year begins on March 25, 2013 at 3:00 PM ET/12noon PT at VoteACM.com. Fan voting for New Artist of the Year will close at 5 p.m. PT on April 7, 2013 (before the LIVE show starts) and fan voting for Entertainer of the Year will close during the third hour of the LIVE broadcast.

A List of Final Nominees for the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards:

Entertainer of the Year

Jason Aldean

Luke Bryan

Miranda Lambert

Blake Shelton

Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jason Aldean

Luke Bryan

Eric Church

Toby Keith

Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Kacey Musgraves

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year

Big & Rich

Florida Georgia Line

Love and Theft

Sugarland

Thompson Square

Vocal Group of the Year

The Band Perry

Eli Young Band

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Zac Brown Band

In the first round of fan voting at GACtv.com, fans named Gilbert, Kramer and Florida Georgia Line for ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year, ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year and ACM New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, respectively. The winners of those categories go on to compete for overall ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s.

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[…] recording his fourth studio album, the follow-up to Tailgates & Tanlines. He’s slated to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7 with Blake Shelton, and will also perform on the CBS […]

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